Apologies in Advance

Well, it's been a while since I have had a good drink, but it's a mates farewell at work today, and I have been challenged at a burbon drinking competition as well as foos ball (I'm the Northern Conference Champion !!!).

I will apologise in advance for anything I might say this afternoon. I often have a case of the "I didn't, did I?'s" the next day.

My nickname at work is Crusher, because I've collated hundreds of Sea Eagles pictures from The Manly Daily, and plastered one wall with them. I also make everyone watch Manly's Grand Final win replays most days at work. Then I have the beard...

But when I get on the drink, they re-name me shooter mcgavin, because I dead set shoot my mouth.

I always have to better everyone. This guy told me he played rep cricket....so I told him so did I, and that we should go down the nets so that I could punish him. He played for NSW !!!

Ryan - just don't drink at one of your clients restaurants like one of your collegues did in Wollongng

Fancy the Bank sacking one of its managers for getting drunk and calling someone a poofter. That used to happen a dozen times every lunch time in the gods. In fact it still does for some bankies (not mortgage brokers though).

A BANK manager is paying a high price for allegedly making a drunken pass at an elderly woman and calling the gay son of a client a "poofter" after work hours.

Carl Nottage, 41, was sacked in disgrace by the NAB on May 3.

Yesterday he broke his silence about his fight to win back his job.

An allegedly drunk Mr Nottage was slurring his words when he was accused of loudly telling an elderly woman she was a "lovely lady" and giving her a business card.

The woman did not respond to the Wollongong NAB business banking manager's alleged pass, which was made in a restaurant owned by one of the bank's clients.

Mr Nottage is accused of returning to the restaurant four months later, in March, and allegedly making a gay slur to the restaurant owner's son.

Mr Nottage, who denies the allegations, is now pursuing unfair dismissal claims against the bank after a hearing in the Industrial Relations Commission this week.

"There are two sides to every story," Mr Nottage said at his Austinmer home. "This has been quite devastating and I just want it resolved as quickly as possible.

"One of the disappointing things is, I've been involved in the community with junior football and I thought it prudent to give those things up while there was this stuff in the background.

"Despite what people say about bankers, we do have a genuine desire to help people."

Mr Nottage declined to comment about the restaurant or the owner who is said to have complained to the NAB.

He had allegedly had a long lunch and visited a pub before he went to the restaurant in March and was introduced to two patrons by the client.

They were with the owner's gay son and Mr Nottage allegedly called him "that poofter" when he asked them why they were drinking with him.

Yesterday Mr Nottage said he hopes to restore his credibility through the legal system. He declined to discuss the specifics of his case.

The IRC documents said, the bank terminated Mr Nottage's employment for "serious and wilful misconduct and for a fundamental breach of the duty of trust and fidelity".

Mr Nottage had worked for the bank since he was 18 and moved from Perth to manage business banking and 30 staff in Wollongong.